Raven’s Personal Log 25 (please remember *a sentence* means a mental comunication)
Hawkins sat in the living room,pouring over his notes as the hunt house bustled with life. My beloved asking every one about current affairs.
“Cat? What about you?” Archer asked, “What have you been doing to keep busy.”
“School, setting up Linda in a private school and a tutor.” Cat dropped hisarm around Linda shoulder.
Archer held a chuckle at the look Linda gave at the word school, “How does Linda feel about this school thing?”
“You got to be kidding,” Linda rolled her eyes, “Like I have to wear this gross uniform and hang with this old fart after school. Than take care of Josho. Bonus is Simon and me are like ummmm “getting on” well. So I’ll put up with it till he stop ummmm.”
Archer grin turned into a smile, “I told you you’d find someone, Linda.”
“Well we had to get rid of the bimbo first.” Linda cuddled in Simon’s arm. “I bet she even threw her teddy away he gave her. Mine is on my bed.”
“What bimbo is that?” My beloved questioned on.
“The flying bimbo and her pet lizard lips.” Linda jested
“Ah..That one.”
Hawkins commented, “Did you ever notice those two seemed to have targets on them ghost archer?”
Ghost Archer grinned, “Which two?”
“Like duhhhh!” Linda shook her head, “Lizard lips.”
Hawkins held a laugh back, “I believe Linda is referring to Kara and Drakeon.”
Linda smiled, “Feather brain understood.”
“Of course I’m more than a feather duster.” The bird actually smiled.
Archer warned, “Watch it, or I’ll send Cat to Russia….”
“Better not!” Linda spoke protectively as she wrapped herself around the body of the fuzzy fur face. “He’s my puttie tat.”
“Why me?” Cat whined barely over a whisper.
“Putty is right…” chuckled erupted from archer
Linda stuck her tongue out at GA.
Hawkins continued on about the duo, “They where always being kay’ O’ed. If there was frequent hospital miles, they sure would have raked them up.”
I snickered.
“Someone had to be the damage sponge and with Drakeon doing it. You almost felt good about it.” Cat smiled trying to pry Linda off him.
I rubbed my upper tummy. “Yeah I kind of miss him in that sense.”
Ghost Archer laid a hand over my stomach, “Maybe we need the target back?”
My laughter filled the air, “Wonder when Titan will be back from that football game?”
“Hockey…” Archer corrected
“Hockey, football what’s the difference.” I shrugged with a grin on.
“Them are fightin’ words, woman.”Archer eyed me as I stepped into the fighting stance.
“Okay beloved.” I pulled the grin from my face and prepared to do mock battle.
A knock came to thedoor. Cat shooed Linda away, bounding to the door. He flung it open with a smile starting in his normal greeting, “Hello, How can I help you?”
William staggered across the door jam and falling against Cat, bleeding
“NO!” I screamed.
“Where’s Raven?” William spoke barely over a whisper as a violent cough took hold, his body collapsing. Cat held him; he lifted and carried the limp body to the couch.
To William’s sideI moved. I ripped the rag of tattered bloody cloth from him. “William.” I choked back the tears as I looked at the lash markings. Phantom pain stung my back. From my bag I pulled antiseptic and started to clean the wounds.
William gasped,”Raven…”
“Yes first mate.” I moved my head to his vision; “I am here.” I paused, “Who did this?”
Blue entered the room pulling out a healing device. The gadget moved about the back. The bleeding stopped.
My eyes locked on my beloved, “Cufaen, help me … PLEASE!” my voice begged.
Blue comforted, “My device will help a bit.”
Archer dropped to his knees beside me. My bloody hand brushed my cheek, as I pushed away a tear. I begged, “Please Cufaen. I can’t fix this.”
“Raven, it is beyond normal paramedic.” He looked at the missing chunk of muscles that should cover the bones.
Blue sighed as he put his healing tool away.
Archer looked up at Blue, “Nice…get it in Cracker Jacks?” Ghost Archer rubbed his hands together, warming them.
“No,” Blue taking his question seriously, “I got in the destroyed base I met Hawkins.”
William laid so still, I checked his breath. “William who did this?” my voice was but a whisper, “William.” Archer gently laid his hands on the torn flesh, his eyes closing. My mind drifted in fear; “William is John with Josho? Who has Josho, William?” I feared the worst. Archer sighed softly, his hands beginning to glow a pale green.
William’s eyes opened and looked into mine. His voice was filled in pain “John” he swallowed, “has him.”
My eyes flowed like rivers, “Who did this to you? Please tell me.” William shuddered, gritting his teeth audibly.
“Cat is the spare room ready for some one to sleep in?” I asked eyes locked to William’s face.
William looked at Raven, his eyes filled with pain “They are going to bomb it…”
“Going to bomb what?”I asked. William sagged, eyes closing. I opened my mind. *William* I spoke into his mind. *William, bomb what?* The pain flooded me. I took it as my ownand sent the sweet peace of my love to him. *William, bomb what? Sweet Sir William, tell me my first one, bomb what?* In my mind eye I saw a perfectly clear pool of water through the pain. *William, where is the water? My dearest.*
William eyes opened for amoment, “Clearwater….” The energy left him as he sunk into the void. For him I sent an image of what his heart most wanted. An image to bring forth his greatest joy and let it play for him.
Archer spoke softly, “That’s about all I can do.” The wounds were all closed and show pale new skin.
“We need to put him tobed.” My thoughts drifted to my travels. I shook my head clear. “Some one check on Clearwater and pools of water.” With my mind I lifted my sweet first mate and started to guide him to the spare room. My mind was flooded with emotion, I felt the star run from it.
Blue spoke, “Its location is the southern end of the sound.”
Cat shrugged, “I guess we have to go check. Call the police and tell them where it is and how we got to info. Who ever beat William wanted us the know this.”
Thoughts circled in my head as I walked, “Probably the mutant nappers.”
Cat nodded, “Could be Raven. The only ones I don’t think it is, is Zodiac.”
“Assuming that person wasn’t tracking William.” Blue began, “or it could be mongrel’s group, the way they are lacking in class and skill and only seem to care about high fatalities.”
“This is a new one on me. The only ones I know withwhips are Zorro and The Whip.” Archer’s words driftedto me as I turned the corner.
My sweet Sir William laid upon the bed. The angry flared inside merevenge over took me. I stepped back in the hall, headingto the side door. I heard their chatter. I steppedout and up. South end of the sound Blue had said. I would search there first. The phantom pain moved across my own back.
//////
Cat placed a call to thePolice. “This is Cat of the Seattle hunt. Some unknown badies wished us to think that a bomb will explode destroying the Clearwater warehouse at the south end of the sounds.”
SPD officer, “We have over thirty officers there now, the place is under attack by heavily armed agents of some sort.”
/////
Cat radioed, “GA, we think Raven is at the Factor. Me and Hawkens are on our way to keep her from getting herself killed.” I grinned to my self as I listened. I adjusted my movement to the factory.
The factory consisted of four buildings surrounded by a chain link fence. There were six tractor/trailers at the loading docks…four at one end, two at the other. There was two parking lots holding a total of about 100 cars. The Police had sealed off the area, three Swat vans and 10 patrol cars were surrounding the areas. A large number of armed men, at least 50, could be seen returning fire with the 30 odd cops. Small arms fire echoed through the night, automatic fire from the invaders and shotgun and pistol fire from the cops. The invaders were dressed in street clothes.
My emotions where settling I was one with the air as I landed in between two trucks. I sought the great mind of Star. A man crawled out from under one of the trucks, he was armed with a AK-74. He began to rise to his knees. I looked at the man and opened my mind wide digging into his, “Retrieve me the bomb.” I commanded. The man knelt on the ground for amoment in thought, than crawled back under the truck. The brief chatter over the radio let me know the others had arrived. Cat had been dropped by Hawkins to do battle with a gunman.
To the ground I knelt watching looking to see what this man did. The man reached up grabbing a magnetic box attached tothe frame of the truck. With a mighty heave he pulled it from the steel of the frame. In that instant it exploded, turning him into smoking jelly. The blast ripped up into the underside of the trunk, rupturing the gas tank. The truck lifted into the air, a ball of fire engulfing me as I moved as quickly as I could up into the air and the two trucks to either side.
The heat caused the gas to ignite the other trucks, adding to the inferno. The blast caught me, it threw me even higher.
The truck beside the first exploded, the already set bomb going off as the truck was jolted from the first blast. The one on the other side did not explode. It burnt. The blast ripped open the cinder box wallof the warehouse, flame jetting inside, catching two other invaders in it’s wake.
Hawkins radioed, “Requesting any fire department in the area come to the clear water factory area a fire has just started.”
At the first explosion, the invaders all moved as a unit to the front of the warehouse, gathering along a treeline. The police in the front were pinned down by withering machinegun fire as invader after invader joined the melee. Hawkins started blasting the invaders with fire breath. The fire blast turned the target area into an inferno, the man in the center into a torch.The flaming torch sounded like popcorn as his ammo began cooking off. I was now out of me, Star relished the feel of combat. I watched the play continue.
Lightly I landed, my body crouching near the ground, my mind moving digging into the gunman. *Who are you with?*
*We are followers of Reverend M. * replied the mind. I growled. Star hummed in agreement, I knew we should have taken them out a long time ago when first his ugly head had crept into our life.
Cat bounded behind the nearest gunman to him and began rabbit punching. The guy crumpled, bruised and bleeding but not dead. Hawkins fired at another one of these goons, again the fire swept over the being consuming him. About a dozen gunmen drew a bead on the large bird and open fire. Fifty rounds of full metal-jacketed slug whiz about the bird five rounds finding the target. Two more cops fell, a police car erupted into a ball of flame, knocking down more cops.
My mind open into the gun man and I heard my voice command, “Kill the ones with guns.” I mentally pointed at his comrades.
He obeyed. He opened up on his fellow invaders. He clipped one with four rounds…the target droped. Hawkins fried another as Cat sprang on another in his flurry of fists. Cat looked at the slumped body and cursed, “Darnit. Tell your boss to get you some armor so I can hit you.”
Cat radioed, “Officers at Clear water. Keep covered We’re here. Don’t forget to call the fire department.”
Hawkins yelled, “Drop your weapons NOW!!!!”
Two more cops dropped as a convoy of vehicle motored down the road toward the fire fight. Two guys drop their weapons and cower, about a dozen fire wildly at the bird. I held the mans mind, the spray of bullets moving over his allies, falling in pools of blood. One of the approaching vehicles, the last in the line, exploded.
Hawkins radioed, “Ghost archer could you check the convoy coming are way or are you busy? Humm. Guess you are.”
En masse the remaining gunmen formed a circle, cutting there way out of the complex, through the cops. About a third trained their weapons on Hawk, filling the sky with serious flak. Several more, about ten, target Cat, blazing away.
My voice sounded dead a sit echoed over the weapon fire, “GIVE UP OR DIE!” Three guys targeted my play thing. His form doubled overand fell. I opened my mind and locked on to one in the center of the circle. I commanded, “Turn and fire upon all in your circle.”
Twenty gunmen fire at Hawkins, ninety rounds whip and zing past him, ten ripped into the warm flesh of the bird. From inside the grouping, a man fired, hitting three of his comrades. The next vehicle in the line that approaching exploded.
Ice dangled off each of my words as my voice shouted once more, “GIVE UP OR YOU WILL DIE TRYING TO LEAVE.” My mind sensed something, something about these men was wrong but what Star had control not me. I watched on.
The group was getting worried but not as worried as you would except. They kept up a constant barrage, reloading in-groups as needed. Hawkins headed toward some cover. Cat seemed worried but he continued to fight. Cat smarted off while pounding the man, “When you’rerecovering at the hospital ask your self why your boss got us angry and told us to come here.” The third vehicle exploded. Again my puppet hit three. The group broke into a run, stampeding out through the main gate.The stampede turned into a mad dash, all-running at top speed away.
Cat radioed, “Hawkins, See if you can get Blue and his Cracker Jack toy. The Cops are in bad shape.”
Hawkins radioed back, “As soon as I’m healed enough to go get him I will.”
Cat intercepted one taking a firm grip. The man struggled against Cat’s hold but is no match for his strength.
The man yelled at Cat, “It’s gonna blow!”
Cat ordered, “Stay still.” then tucked him under his arm and jumped to the other side of a swat van.
The factory exploded! Everything, every building, vehicle and shed, exploded, trees were uprooted. The nearer cop car rolled over. The running men were all flattened to the ground. Cat braced the van trying to keep the van from landing on him and who else was there.
Twenty-one cops laid dead or injured. Eleven of the gunmen could be counted. Blue came from the tree line and moved to the injured. Blue checked each of the wounded, healing as he went. Clean up began.
Mentally we reached out and twisted into the mind of the man on the ground. The strangeness became clear. He was already under a mind control a powerful mass mind. I dug into his mind. I searched for a location the others ran to.
*An old storefront church* cried the mind.
“Can we meet them at the rendevou point?” Cat asked, “I think someone else needs to get whipped.”
Cat spoke my feelings but it was Star he was with and Star wanted more combat. “We have more ass kicking to do.” My voice sounded as it told him the location of the church. “He will pay.” The animal growl came from within.
As I growled like a beast I gave the address to Cat. “Meet me there.” Ordered my voice in a command.
Cat chimed over the radio, “Let’s go girl.”
The swift passage of distance melted as my voice spoke over the radio, “Archer we are on the way to the church front. If you can join us as back up. After clean up please do.”
Cat was at my side within seconds.
The Church was typical of many poor neighborhoods…once a popular clothing store, now a store front Church. People move in and out of the building on a regular basis, all apparently homeless. Three ways in and out of the building, Cat too the East Side door I took the west, and Hawkins guarded the front. Testing the door I found it lock. Star was still in control. My gloved hand move a dragon nail through the metal like a hot knife through butter.
Inside the room were a series of pew like benches, most occupied with ragged people, many with bundles of belongings. As I watched a well dressed young man of about 25 step out of the store room, escorting an older woman attired in a warm near floor length coat and carrying a new sleeping bag and a canvas sack of canned foods.
I pulled my cloak tightly around me, move toward him, “Are you The Rev?”
He gestured to the next person, a scruff man of indeterminate age whoshuffled to the young man. “No, I am Steven… My I help you?” His attention was now on my form.
“Can you tell me where I might find the Rev?” Star was bored. I felt myself moving back within my minds control.
“I am sure he will be at the Promised Land.” Steve smiled with a glow to him, “Have you needs, sister? Food? Something warm? Are you ill?”
“My need is for the Rev.”
Steven smiled broadly, “We all need the Rev. He is our savior..”
“So I have heard.” I tried hard to keep the bitterness from my voice.
“He will lead us to greatness once more.”
“Where is the promise land.” I asked determined to face this demon of the green down. I spoke as sweetly as I could, “So I can speak with him.”
“One block from the waterfront, it was once the Bank of America building. Now it houses all of our flock that will come tous.” Steven directed, “Have you taxi fare?”
“Yes I do.”
He offered, “Shall I call a brother or sister to show you the way?”
“That would be so nice.”
“All would be glad to aid you.” Steven smiled.
“How about you? Could you escort me?”
Steven shook his head, “Let me aid our grandfather here, I shall send Christopher to escort you.”
“Thank you Steven.” I moved way. In a soft whisper I radioed, “I am trying to get directions to the promise land. Who want’s to cover here and who wants to back me up?”
Cat radioed, “I’ll cover here. Take Hawkins..”
Steven disappeared into the storeroom, leaving the door open to reveal a large pile of coats and clothes plus sleeping bags. Cartons of food were stacked neatly along one wall. A few minutes later a very young man of maybe fifteen stepped out and approaching me. His face was shinning as his words gently flowed, “Steven has told me you wish to be escorted to the Promised Land.”
“Are you Chris?” I shorted his name as was the habit of the green.
“Christopher, please.” His face smiled but I could see the wear on his skin, like those of the bridge people.
“Yes I would like to go there.” I said sweeting my voice thinking of those who waited to go back to the forest. I had just left them in that compound. Their life was better but still I owed them a new life, the one I promised. The first year of the green was not up yet and I had time.
His voice brought my thoughts drifting back to him, “If you will come with me, I will show you the way.”Christopher led me out the door. Gently he questioned as we walked, “Are you going to join the Rev?”
“I wish to speak with him.” I replied not wanting to let my true reasons out I added, “I have heard many things about him.”
“He is truly a man of God.” The boy beamed as he spoke about him, “So kind and gentle.” I kept a straight face and he continued, “He aides so many…nearly 5000 have come under his wing and now have a place to sleep that is safe and warm food three times each day.” Christopher set a gentle pace and walked beside me, his young face lit with hope from within.. “His ministry will be going nation-wide shortly. How wonderful it must be.! How rewarded he must feel to help so many and soon, our mere 5000 will be millions.”
My words slip from me , “To help save one is reward for a life time.”
“Yes!” Christopher beamed, “And the Rev has earned the reward many times over. We are blessed with so many.”
“How much further?”
Christopher stopped, pointing to a building a few blocks away. It must have been thirty stories tall. “There is the Promised Land.”
“Will I be able to speak with him?” I stared at the structure in the distant.
“I am sure…I have never hear of the Rev not speaking to a new convert.”
I looked at his bright eyes, “How long have you been with him?”
“Two months now. I bless His name each hour .”Christopher smiled and I pulled my cloak tighter as he started his story, “I was a lost soul., wandering the streets.. Now I have purpose…a mission in my life…to help others.”
Touching the strings in my mind I called on Star once more, pains of my failings shot through my heart. Star eased my heart as it embraced my soul and slide back into my limbs. The Play began as I watched out side of my self.
The Promised Land stood thirty stories of modern steel and glass.Thousands strolled freely in and out of the building, many going in are ragged and depressed. All coming out aredressed in clean, warm, serviceable clothing, many carry food stuffs.
We opened the speaking, “30ft building is the promise land?”
Christopher nodded and smiled “Yes!”
“I am sorry Christopher.”
“Sorry? For what?” The boy looked confused.
Cat radioed, “I got it.”
“I thought a promise land would be rich and green. It surprised me it is a building in the middle of a city.”
Christopher laughed merrily, “For now it is our Promised Land. Soon all of America will be the Promised Land…as it should have been.”
“Is this the promise of the Rev?” We asked as the cell phone rang. I pulled it from my cloak. The boy looking rather stunned.
“Seeker, Throne.” Came Peter’s voice
“Yes.”
“We have a little problem.” He started.
“Yes.”The land of the green had many of them.
Peter sounded serious, “For some reason our city has been graced by a visit from the Ultimates and Binder has taken over a computer shop downtown”
“The who?”We had not heard of these before. We searched themind of our host and found nothing.
“The Ultimates.” Throne sighed.
“Peter,” we spoke into the phone, “I was about to speak with The Rev.”
“Binder is demanding Bill Gates takes IE out of Windows.”He now sounded agitated, It will have to wait, I am afraid.”
WE covered the phone and looked at the male, “Christopher.”
“Yes, miss?”
From the cloak we pulled out currency and handed it to the male. “A friend of mine need me but I really want to talk with the Reverend.”
“He is always willing to talk.” The smile on the child face seemed so odd now.
“Could you please tell him I will come back.” We wanted him to know us, though it would be our host that was reported.
“Gladly! May I have your name?” he asked with the simplistic grin.
“The seeker.” The host title was good enough.
Christopher smiled, “Aren’t we all?”
We thought among our self more than your mind could understand little one but we spoke, “In our own way.. yes.Go get your self an ice-cream. Thank you for your help.” Some nicety for his aid was needed and we might need him again.
“You will always be welcome. I will add this to the poor box.”
No longer could the voice on the phone wait nor could we stand inactive. Our time of control was always short. Peter Thorne’s words had promised combat, more information on the workings of these beings. With the power of the host we moved into the air.
“Oh, my!” cried the male child, as he watched the form of us move to the heaveans.
“Okay Peter,” We spoke, “Where?”
“A place called the Byte Shop.” He said than followed withdirections, “Binder is holding an unknown number of people in the shop.”
“You know Throne, you have the worst timing.”
“No…the Ultimates do.” We could hear his voice become lighter.
“Reverend M just blow up a factory and beat a friend of mine half to death.” I moved my lips as I crowded back to own space. Star knew I only wish to speak to Peter and moved gently back for the moment.
“You have proof?” He asked.
“Prisoners should be on the way to the station from the factory.” I paused, as I try to settle the anger in my gut and in a stern determined whisper I said, ” I will have the proof.” I didn’t wait for good-byes, I closed the phone. The pain and anger was swimming , my mind remembering the sting of the whip upon me. My sweet William I will bring this false one down. I growled into the radio, “Plans have changed meet me at the Byte Shop, it’s urgent.”
Cat radioed, “I’m on my way. I know the place. I havean order there.” Hawkins changed his flight, heading off to help.
The building lay in the center of block. Two doors faced the street, each with a glass window covered in a metal mesh. One for the doors wasmarked for public use. The little glass block coveredthe once large opening where the plate glass window must have once been. The area was more on the depressed side and few people walked the streets. From theglass block and the small door window an eerie lightflowed.
We moved back into the limbs of our host and becameone with the air. The excitement of her fearenthralled us. Opening the door we slipped in. A man with a backpack turned as the door opened, he was armed with a huge gun that is attached to the backpack..
Beside the door was a younger man, electricity coursing over his body. We willed our self to the ceiling as we cleared the door and looked down upon thescene. Standing at a table full of computers was a largehumanoid shaped ball of glowing energy. The Energy being had many computers open and was rewiring them in the northeast corner was a surfer type, in a cropped wet suit,back and forth he paced. There were about half a dozen people standing and sitting against the wall. These were obviously the captives. We used her power of the mind. The man with the gun now was facing his fear.
Gunman turned to the other, “Slick? I still got it?Right?” he didn’t wait for an answer he move to a femaleseated on the floor, “You…your hot.” Binder poses in profile for the girl, “I am still the best looking villain you’ve ever seen, right?”
Cat radioed, “Raven, want me in?”
We whispered in the radio “Only got one babbling.”
Binder pointed the gunat her. “Tell me I am beautiful. Now!” he demanded.
The girl mumbled in fright “Your beautiful.”
Binder says “You don’t mean it!” Than he yelled “you’re a liar! All of you! Tell me I am BEAUTIFUL!”
Binder started jumping up and down yelling “I am BEAUTIFUL!!!!, I am BEAUTIFUL!!!”
Over in the corner the surfer dude groaned and shook his head. “He’s off again, Charger. Give him a little zap to knock him out of it!”
Charger tossed sparks from hand to hand “Leave him alone,dude…he’s hittin’ on the babes…”
Slack laughed “Hebetter use that gun as a club!”
The host did notlike the female threaten and demand us to help we radioed, ” NOW”
The big fur ball strode in thefront door as casual as could be, “Hi, do you have mycomputer ready? Don’t forget I asked for a duel Pentium.”
Charger looked at Cat. “Get against the wall, dude.”
“I’m sorry but you’re not my type.” Catjoked.
“Your type, I’ll fried your ass if you don’t getagainst the wall? ” Charger goes ZZAPP as he threatenedCat.
Binder ran over to Cat, pointing the huge gun at him, “You from Bill Gates?! He gonna do it?!
“Yes,and I have a copy of Windows ME with their newversion of Internet Explorer for you.” Catsmiled.
“I DON”T WANT THAT SHIT!” cursed Binder, “NETSCAPE MAN OR NOTHING!!”
Cat ran to Chargers side, spinning in a kick as he arrived.
Charger lookedat Cat and blinked “What was that?”
Cat purred, “A test, Now I know I can really hit you.”
The wall erupted in flame, bathing two of the hostages that are standing a few feet away. The two civilians are burst into a brilliant blaze of colors their voices cried out in the anguish of pain.
Charger grinned, watching the grace of Cat’smaneuver. Then he calmly took a shot at him just as thefirebolt ripped the whole through the wall. Caught by surprise the electrical bolt missed Cat, sailing past tostrike one of the flaming hostages.
With my mind I grabbed the fire extinguisher and began to spray the flaming people. My voice rose, ” Get the hellout of the hole!!! RUN!”
Binder aimed the huge gun at Cat, ” You aren’t from Microsoft!” He squeezed the trigger.
Cat said seriously, “Yes I am. Don’t you want your software?” A glob of glue spit out of the gun tube, covering a line from Binder to Cat…including Cat.
“Yo! Dudes!…what’shappen in?” Slick ran over to the sticky pussy, Cat. “Whoa! You look like you need a little Slick!”
Hawkins screeched, “The fire department is annoyed with you guys for making a fire hazard. No more than two villains in a small building.”
Plasmoid picked up athing. that he has assembled from parts of fourdifferent computers. He mounts it a CMeSeeU camera that ispointed at Cat. Plasmoid buzzed softly, like a high tension power line. He pressed the enter key on a keyboard and the tiny ball camera flash and goes out.Plasmoid turned the thing around, to stare into the camera.
The flaming hostage screamed, dropping to the floor, starting to roll the flame out. The other fell to the floor, the electrical blast from Charger putting him out.
“Ran dam it!” I cursed, “Get out the hole!” Three ofthe hostages ran out the door.
Cat extended his claws. His nails began to cut his way out of the goo. Hawkins fired a blast of fire at Binder. Binder screamed in pain as the flame bypasses his armor, the firemelting his clothing to his body.
“Let’s see ifyou like this Charger.” Cat lifted his fist to hisface and kicked at Charger. Charger hit the wall. Thewall shattered as he sailed through it and landed in aheap out in the street. Cat glared, “Did you noticethat one Charger?” Cat looked over to Slick and said,”Hi Slick, what were you saying?”
“I wassaying…Slick!” Slick grinned and slide out the door, headingdown the street, running his ass off!
“Binder,”Cat jested, ” I have a new top end computer for you with a 1K gift certificate for any soft ware you want.”
Hawkines looked at the very badly burnt Binder, “Cat do you have medic skills ? I think I over cooked this one.”
Cat radioed, “Police, we’re at Byte we need an ambulance.”
Police answered, ” Ambulance on its way.”
Cat grabbed the fire extinguisher, put the fire out on Binder and says, “Stay still the doctors are on the way.”Binder fell to the ground, crying in pain.
I radioed, “We will need a ride to stronghold for the another two.”
Cat looked at Binder, “I am right in thinking that you want an Apple and no Microsoft software right?”
Archer appeared beside me. His voice awaking mefrom the play, “I think you need to worry about thenormal, love.” My eyes looked over his form hanging onthe ceiling with me. “Cat…get Slick in here.”
Hawkins flew off a few minutes later Blue walked in witha healing device
Cat nodded, ” Ok, I’ll look for him.”
“Beloved” I requested, “Could you please bind plasmo?”
Archer dropped to the floor,kneeling over one of the men on the floor. He looked up atme “as long as he is occupied, he’s harmless..” I lowered myself to the floor, taking in the feeling ofreal that was sweeping over me.
Cat looked upand down the street and said, “Anyone see someone run Really fast away from here?”
Ghost Archer mumbled, ” Dam, babe…we need a muzzle on that bird.” I was myself again and could not help but grin